Japanese Citizenship

A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Japanese Citizenship

The process of becoming a Japanese citizen for those who have not been born with this status is called Naturalization. Unlike many other countries, Japan is a jussanguinis state. It means that citizenship is being passed along the bloodline. Being born in Japan does not grant you Japanese citizenship. However, being born outside of Japan to a person who is a Japanese national does make you a Japanese national too.

The process of obtaining Japanese citizenship requires a lot of paperwork and time. But once done and approved, it makes your residence in Japan smooth and easy as well as grants you a lot of additional possibilities.

Benefits

Becoming a citizen of Japan provides you with a lot of benefits by granting you the full set of the exact same rights as those of Japanese-born citizens. These include, for example:

The right to vote in elections. Naturalized citizens are expected to participate in elections.

The right to run for a public office. For example, for a local assembly or even for the Diet.

The right to become a civil servant. For example, a judge, a prosecutor, the police, or even the Self-Defence Forces.

To travel freely in and out of Japan without a re-entry permit and without time limitation.

To travel to many countries around the world without a visa, since Japanese passport is one of the world’s most powerful ones.

Where to apply?

Applications and interviews are handled by the Bureau of Legal Affairs of your residence area. But the decision about your citizenship is done by the Ministry of Justice.

Requirements and Prerequisites

Continuous residence in Japan. An applicant must be living in Japan for more than 5 years at the moment of application and have a valid visa (officially called the Status of Residence or SOR for short). However, this rule in not applicable to the years of residency spent under the student visa. Those will not be counted. This requirement also implies that you were spending at least 80% of each granted residency period in Japan.

Age. An applicant must be at least 20 years of age and must be officially considered to be an adult in their home county. Nevertheless, this rule is not applicable to dependent children under 20 years of age who are applying together with the adult applicants.

Good moral conduct. This term is vague and hard for many to interpret and understand. It is best to think of it as the perfect record of your previous day-to-day life both in Japan and in your own home country. This includes, but is not limited to:

Being a good member of society that does not create any disturbances to other people. For example, being involved in a traffic accident or a bar fight, having unpaid debts and/or taxes, being in any way connected to people with a questionable behavior can make the processing time very long due to investigations or even lead to rejection of your application. Any misconduct that is deemed to be a minor thing in your country can be seen in a very harsh light in Japan.

Paying your taxes.

Being enrolled in the Japanese National Pension System and show the proofs of your payments.

Paying your National Health Security Insurance

All precedents will be closely examined and assessed. The type, severity, and circumstances of any possible offense will be taken into consideration. Having a criminal record does not automatically mean the rejection of an application, but it is better not to have any.

Financial wellbeing. You and/or somebody else in your household should be capable of sustaining your livelihood. It means having a stable and sufficient income for yourself if you are single or for the members of your family if you have one. If you are a spouse of the Japanese national, you will have to prove that your marriage is genuine and both of you are living together. Students can sometimes rely on a regular and sufficient financing from their parents when it is applicable.

Single citizenship. Japan does not recognize double or multiple citizenships. If you wish to be naturalized in Japan, you have to denounce all the other citizenships as soon as you get your Japanese one. You will have two years to complete this requirement. If you are caught having double citizenship, you will face severe punishments that would probably be permanent.

Respect the Constitution of Japan. You have to respect and follow the Law and you should never be involved in any political violence against the Constitution of Japan or the Government of Japan, planning of any such violation acts, or supporting any groups that are planning or trying to carry out any violence again the Japanese government or the Constitution of Japan. Simply speaking, you should not be a member or a supporter of any group deemed to be terroristic. You will have to sign an oath where you swear to respect and follow the Law, maintain only the Japanese citizenship, etc.

Language skills. While not too high, there are some minimal requirements regarding the applicant’s abilities to communicate in Japanese. One should have a proficiency equivalent to Japanese primary school student, who is on average 7 or 8 years old. That includes:

Being able to read and write both Japanese alphabets, hiragana and katakana

Being able to understand basic hieroglyphs called kanji

Being able to smoothly verbally communicate and understand what is said in Japanese. If you do not have any language proficiency certification (Japanese Language Proficiency Test Certificate or any other officially recognized document) you can assess your level by asking yourself if you could comfortably communicate with the immigration officer or perform cashier duties in a supermarket.

Inspection. Sometimes an official from the Bureau of Legal Affairs may come to inspect your home and a workplace and to talk to your neighbors. It is needed to verify the information you have provided in your papers. Such visits are not very common and usually do not happen, if your home and work addresses can be easily checked on the internet or if the naturalization office is overwhelmed with other applicants and is unable to visit all the applicants.

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Application procedure

The official from the Bureau of Legal Affairs will examine your papers and confirm if everything is done correctly. The will also set the interview time,if there are no other documents required from you.

Complete an interview.

If you have been granted a citizenship, the announcement about it will be published in an Official Gazette of the Ministry of Justice. You will get a call or a postal notification from the Bureau of Legal Affairs.

Your citizenship is deemed to be in force starting on the day of the official announcement.

You will receive a certificate of naturalization.

What documents do I need?

The set of documents you will have to prepare may vary from person to person. It depends on the previous residential statuses as well as your past and present personal circumstances. Moreover, the Bureau of Legal Affairs has the right to request more documents of their choice for inspection and clarification along the way if they deem it to be necessary for making a decision. Some of the main documents you need to provide include but are not limited to:

An application form

Two photos 5 cm x 5 cm

A clarification letter explaining your desire to become a Japanese citizen (handwritten in Japanese by the applicants themselves)

Proof of your current citizenship. For example, a certificate of birth.

How long does it take to obtain Japanese citizenship?

Your first appointment with the Bureau of Legal Affairs will be set in 3-6 weeks after your call. Once you get the list of documents during the first meeting, it is up to you how fast you can get the paperwork done. When you have collected all the documents, you have to set the second appointment for verification of your documents. It will be held in 2-4 weeks after your call. During your second appointment, you will get your papers reviewed. If everything is good, you will be invited to an interview in 4-8 weeks after the appointment. The final decision will be made in 6-12 month.

Thus, your paperwork may take the minimum of 2 months. The decision will be announced in 6-12 month. However, prepare to wait for a longer time.

How much does an application for a Japanese citizenship application cost?

There are no charges for the application and its processing.

After you have become a Japanese citizen

You are considered to be a citizen of Japan on the same day when the announcement about your newly granted Japanese citizenship appears in the Official Gazette of the Ministry of Justice. When you have received your certificate of naturalization you need to complete few more procedures.

Return you alien registration card to the immigration office. You do not need it anymore since you will be issued a personal identification card.

Report to your local municipal office within the specified time period that you have obtained a citizenship. You will get your own family register.

Change your name on your official documents (driver license, bank account, etc). Your name will be written in Japanese from now on in your official documents.

After you have become a Japanese citizen

You are considered to be a citizen of Japan on the same day when the announcement about your newly granted Japanese citizenship appears in the Official Gazette of the Ministry of Justice. When you have received your certificate of naturalization you need to complete few more procedures.

Return you alien registration card to the immigration office. You do not need it anymore since you will be issued a personal identification card.

Report to your local municipal office within the specified time period that you have obtained a citizenship. You will get your own family register.

Change your name on your official documents (driver license, bank account, etc). Your name will be written in Japanese from now on in your official documents.

Summary

Getting a Japanese citizenship is the next step for people who have lived in Japan for some time and have decided to stay there forever. Japanese citizenship grants a person the same rights as those of people who were born to be Japanese citizens.

Since you will be granted the full spectrum of right, applications for the citizenship are being examined to the smallest details. In order to avoid problems with your application, it is recommended that you maintain a good reputation during your whole stay in Japan. That includes a good moral conduct at all times, stable financial status and no problems with your taxes to begin with. Other requirements presume the respect for the Constitution of Japan, sufficient language skills and a possible inspection from the Bureau of Legal Affairs.

Japanese citizenship FAQ

What are the chances of getting my application approved?

They are very high. Despite the popular misconception, citizenship applications are being approved in 95-99 % of cases.

Can I appeal the decision?

No, you cannot. Once a decision has been made, it is a final one.

Can I leave Japan for a while during the application process?

Yes, but you will have to inform the immigration office and the Bureau of Legal Affairs about all of your travels and any other changes in your status: change of a job, marriage/divorce, etc.

Application process seems to be difficult. Can someone help me with it?

You can always ask for an assistance of a certified immigration specialist. It is not a requirement to use one, but they can help you with a lot of such practicalities as handling your paperwork and visiting various tax offices.

Can I bring other people to Japan with me?

Most probably yes. Such close relatives as spouses and children are usually allowed to stay with you in Japan, provided you are financially capable of supporting your whole family. Bringing your parents or personal helpers is subject to different rules, but can also be possible. Consult your local municipal office and the immigration office to get the latest updates on such requirements.

Can I lose my Japanese citizenship?

Once you become a citizen of Japan you are subject to exactly the same regulations set by the laws of Japan as other Japanese citizens. If you commit a crime, your punishment will be determined by those laws. Whatever the punishment is, you will have to follow, and it will most probably be a permanent one. Thus, your ability to sustain or lose a citizenship is completely in your hands.

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